ANIMAL KINGDOM

Pod of orcas trapped under ice in Canada

Town's mayor appeals to government to send icebreaker ship

Published: 01/10/2013 at 11:58 AM

(DAILY MAIL) A community in Quebec’s Far North is calling for outside help to free about a dozen killer whales trapped under a vast stretch of sea ice – much like the real-life 1988 scenario in Alaska that was portrayed by Drew Barrymore in the film Big Miracle.

Locals in Inukjuak said the mammals have gathered around a single hole in the ice – slightly bigger than a pickup truck – in a desperate bid to get oxygen.

Mayor Peter Inukpuk urged the Canadian government on Wednesday to send an icebreaker as soon as possible to crack open the ice and help them find open water.